A Memorable Memoir by a Memorable Person
You don't come across many books that can capture your heart and be so relatable as this James Herriot classic. Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on April 15, 1998, All Creatures Great and Small is a lengthy, yet a must-read collection of memoirs that you can never seem to put down.
In this wonderful first person chronicle, we're taken on an unforgettable journey through the English countryside and into the homes of its inhabitants (patients or otherwise) with a young James Herriot, who's just starting his career, whether a good one or not. Whether struggling mightily to fix a cows pelvis while getting kicked multiple times or comforting a lonely woman whose dog and only friend has died, this story is a wonderful story for easy reading.
Although the veterinary terms are hard to understand, the way Herriot writes this makes him seem like a normal human instead of some fictitious entity of our imagination. He’s tried to impress a girl or two, tried to keep his reputation up and done some unbelievable things. He's made many friends, but also some enemies if he ever slips up on a job. There may be bias, but that's a normal circumstance when being a new veterinarian in a new town with people who don't know you and don't always trust you because of it. Overall, his style is a well done first person, and the stories he tells are usually always hilarious, except when something went wrong, which is normal in the veterinary business.
Herriot always tries to keep a smile on his face, as well as put a smile on others (well, at least mine), and this memoir is a memorable one, indeed.